"The tart, scarlet berry grows wild on trailing vines
in northern Europe and in northern regions of North
America. It is also known as the "bounceberry" because if
ripe, it bounces, and the "craneberry" due to the poetic
resemblance of the shrub's pink blossoms to the heads of
cranes, birds often wandering through cranberry bogs.
In traditional North American herbalism, cranberries have
been used to prevent kidney stones and bladder 'gravel'
and to remove toxins from the blood. Its most popular
therapeutic use, the treatment of urinary tract infections
also has its roots in herbalism."
But there's more: "But health benefits of cranberries
go well beyond the urinary tract. An increasingly
important compound found in cranberries is ellagic
acid, which studies have shown to have potent anti-tumor
activity. Ellagic acid appears to fight carcinogens on
two fronts. First, it prevents genetic damage that starts
cancer-forming process. Then, if a carcinogen should
happen to invade cells, ellagic acid keeps the cells from
becoming cancerous!"
Therefore, eat plenty of cranberries, er, bounceberries, er,
whatever, this season!!!
Sent in by Marieken Volz, Vermont, USA |
